


Don't Look Back, Lest You Turn to Salt

by thesometimeswarrior



Series: Looking Toward [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Episode: s02e03 Return to Omashu, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 08:22:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9226520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesometimeswarrior/pseuds/thesometimeswarrior
Summary: "His first reaction, when he sees the troops approaching his city, is to stew in his fury, let the fire—red hot and explosive—build up in his gut like bile."Zuko, and the siege of Omashu.Sequel to Looking and its Consequences.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to my earlier work Looking and its Consequences, though this should be able to be understood on its own.
> 
> The premise of this AU is that, rather than staying in his seat and looking away during Zuko's Agni Kai with Ozai, Iroh interferes and stops it. In Looking and its Consequences, we learn that he is branded a traitor because of that decision, and Zuko, having a hard time accepting the consequences of that, convinces Iroh to flee the Fire Nation with him.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

His first reaction, when he sees the troops approaching his city, is to stew in his fury, let the fire—ret hot and explosive—build up in his gut like bile.

His second is to rush as efficiently as possible—even taking a cue from the Avatar and using the mail delivery system—to the guard battalion.

“I’m fighting,” he tells the commander when he arrives, standing tall and clenching his hands into fists. It isn’t a request, and Zuko anticipates resistance. Commander Yang will say, perhaps, that he is untrained as a part of the battalion, that his Firebending is incompatible with the rest of their troops’ Earthbending, that it ruins their planned strategy. But they’ve all seen him Firebend; they know what he can do, how powerful he is when fueled by rage. And he knows, too, how to fight Firebenders. Since he could first bend, he has been trained in the art of the Agni Kai, and he figures there are transferable skills, even if he is not facing anyone in singular combat. (Though he would like to, he _would_ , he would like to face them _all_ in one-on-one combat, would like to beat them all—for what they’ve done to the Earth Kingdom, for _daring_ to come here, the first place in his life that feels like anything resembling a home, for serving his father after everything that that man has done, would have done to _him_ , that terrible terrible thing that Ozai would have done to him…)

Zuko is primed to make his case, to shout it defiantly, but Yang’s answer surprises him. “ _Are_ you fighting? Because we’re not.”

“ _What_?!”

“King Bumi doesn’t want to fight. I believe he’s issuing a surrender.”

“But next to Ba Sing Se, this is the last stronghold the Earth Kingdom has left!”

“And here, we obey our king.”

Zuko grits his teeth as he sprints out toward Bumi’s palace. He knows (thinks) that Yang hadn’t intended to make him feel foreign, feel guilty (“ _Here_ , Zuko, we obey our king, unlike in your Fire Nation, where two of you run off to betray _your_ king...”). Knows that after over two years they don’t see them as foreigners or threats any more, have possibly even forgot that they’re Fire Nation at all...And anyway, that isn't the point! He'll convince Bumi to fight, one Order member to another. Never mind that Bumi outranks him, outranks nearly everyone except Uncle—who outranks him—and Master Jeong Jeong, some swordsman from the Fire Nation, and a Waterbender from the North—all of whom are of the same rank as him. Rank aside, he will listen. Zuko will make him listen.

When he does arrive, it is to find Uncle pouring Bumi tea while he sits on his terrace.

“Good,” Uncle placates before Zuko can begin the outburst already building in his lungs. “I was just planning to fetch you. We are going to flee.”

“ _How can you say that_?! We’re staying to fight!”

“No one is fighting,” says Bumi without getting up or taking his eyes off his tea.

“So...what? You’re just going to _give_ your city and your people over to the Fire Nation?!”

“Yep.”

“Well...Well, I don’t care what you and your people are doing! _I’m_ going to stay and defend my city!”

For the first time, Bumi turns to look at Zuko and raises an eyebrow. “You, against an entire brigade of Fire Nation soldiers?”

“If neither of you are going help.”

“Zuko…” Uncle attempts to lay a hand on Zuko’s shoulder, but he shrugs it off, continuing to stare at Bumi.

“No,” says Bumi finally. “You won’t.”

“You’re not my king—I don’t have to obey you!”

“But you are a member of the Order of the White Lotus, aren’t you?”

In response, Zuko gives a single, terse nod.

“Then I outrank you. And I say you are to listen to your Uncle and run away.”

“Zuko,” says Uncle again, and this time Zuko, though fuming, turns to look at him. “If we stay, we are putting the people here in more danger. If Ozai were to get word that Omashu is harboring traitors—”

“They don’t know that _I’m_ a traitor!”

“Perhaps not. But you have been missing for nearly three years, nephew, and if they did not deduce that you helped me escape, then they likely concluded that I, or someone else, kidnapped you. And I do not think that Ozai would look kindly on a city keeping the Crown Prince captive either.”

“So...so we’re just going to leave them to the Fire Nation?”

“Not forever,” replies Uncle. “But for now, yes.”

“I don’t think the Fire Nation has any interest in harming the civilians here,” adds Bumi. “They just want to take the city. So it’s not the right time to strike yet. When it is, I’ll be here.”

“And what are we supposed to do?!” asks Zuko, throwing his arms up. “Just go hide until you decide it’s a good time to finally fight?”

“No,” says Uncle. “If the War is to end, the Avatar will need to master all four elements. And he will need someone to teach him Firebending.”

“The _Avatar_? That child who came and wrecked half the city?”

“Aang is the best hope the world has,” says Bumi.

“No,” says Zuko. “The best hope the world has is the Order!”

“We assist when we can,” Uncle admits. “We transcend the division of the Nations. But we are about truth, philosophy, beauty, you know this—” 

“We’re about doing _good_.” 

“But we are not a military, and certainly not one that can organize an offensive strike. At the moment,” says Uncle. “The best thing we can do is support the Avatar.”

“That child is supposed to defeat the entire Fire Nation military machine, all on his own?”

Bumi laughs. “Didn’t you hear about the North Pole?”

“And besdies,” continues Uncle. “It may not be necessary for him to defeat the entire military, if he can defeat Ozai.” 

“A twelve-year-old boy, defeat Ozai?”

“If he can master all four elements, he may have a chance. And, nephew, _we_ are the only ones who can train him in Firebending.”

Zuko sighs, looks away, because he knows Uncle is _right_ , and to admit as much is the same as agreeing to run away from, to leave this city…

Finally, he relents. “Fine.” 

Uncle nods, and this time Zuko lets him place a hand on his shoulder.

“Good,” says Bumi. “Your Uncle and I have already discussed a rendezvous point. You’ll go there, and once I manage to get a message to Aang and his friends, they’ll meet you.”

A moment later, it seems, as he and Uncle are sneaking through the tunnel that will take them out of the city, Zuko forces himself to keep his head forward. He will not let himself think about the fact that this is the second home he has had to flee because of Ozai. He will not let himself look back.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> I love comments!!!


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